“I think he should,” Trump told reporters as he departed the White House on Friday morning. “He tried. I want to support, always, I want to support the person running. We need the seat. We would like to have the seat.”

Since his defeat, Moore has refused to concede, insisting on the official vote count from Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill, and that provisional and military ballots be counted.

“In this race, we have not received the final count to include military and provisional ballots,” Moore said in a video statement. “This has been a very close race, and we are awaiting certification by the secretary of state.”

The certification process, by the Secretary of State, will start no earlier than December 26, and not later than Jan. 3.

Merrill has said it is “highly unlikely” that Jones would not be certified as the winner, given the unofficial results: — Jones received 671,151 votes (50 percent), to Moore’s 650,436 votes (48 percent). With an additional 22,819 (2 percent) write-ins. The Moore campaign can call for a recount, but would have to pay for it unless the margin is within half a percentage point.

One of Moore’s most ardent supporters, former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon, has joined Trump in calling on the former candidate to concede, , a source familiar with the conversation told CNN.

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